Improvement in safety-mechanism for hoisting-apparatus



@sind dihiirr.'

A4WILLIAM HENRY Mannion, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 100,651, dated March 8, 1870.

'IMPRQVEMENT IN SAFETY-MECHANISM FOR` HOISTING-APPiARA'TUS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the `ame I, WILLIAM HENRY Mannion, of Philadelphia, county of' Ih iladelphia,l State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain improved Safety-Mechanism for Hoisting-Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatio .Nature mul Object ofthe Invention.

My invention consists in the combination in hoisting-apparatus of airidler-pulley bearing on a drivingbelt, with mechanism for applying a brake to the pulley or shaft driven by the belt, and for controlling the stopping, starting, and reversing-gear of the drivingengine, all substantially as described hereaftenso that rit' the belt accidently breaks or slips from the pulleys,

the engine will be stopped simultaneously with the application of the brake.v

The figure in the accompanying drawing represents a side view'of my improved safety-mechanism for hoisting-apparatus.

A represents 'a shaft, to be driven by au adjacent steam-engine, and on this shaft is a pulley, B, for receiving the driving-belt (i, the latter passing around the larger pulley D, on a shaft, E, which is the mediuin, in combination with any suitable mechanism,

` for raisingand lowering the hoisting-cage.

On the same shaft E, or on the pulley I), is a fric'- tion-pnlley, F, to the periphery of which are adapted the blocks H ot' a brake-band I, the opposite ends of the latter being connected to a lever, J, one end of lthe band ou one side, and the other end of the band on 'the' other side of the \fulcru1n-pin m. ot` the said lever, as shown in the drawing.`

To this lever is connected the lower end of a rod, K, the `upper end of `which has an elongated eye or slot b, and through the latter passes a spindle,` c, on

which an idler-pulley,L, can revolve freely, the said spindle' being secured to Van arm, M, hung loosely to the driving-shaft A, or to any stationary'object adjacent thereto, so ithat the said idler-pulley is free tov bear with its own weight and that of its arm or arms on the driving-belt G.

A level', N, is secured to a'fulcrnn'i-spindle, d, whichY is allowed' to vibrate .in any stationary object, the lever being 'connected by a rod, x, or otherwise, to the throttle-vulve of the engine, and to the stopping, starting, andreversing-gear ofthe same, for it should be understood that the movement of the lever N must control that of the engine, the lever being operated, in the present instance, by a cord or rod, P, which may be so situatedas to be grasped by any one occupying a `posit-ion on the cage-ot', the lioisting-apparatus..

lhe lever J is provided with a weight, Q, on each side of which a rod, is connected to the said lever,

each rod having a veitically-elongated eye orslot, 11

through which passes a pin, i, on .the lever if' i l ing the engine may be employed.

Oliiemt'ion.

In the drawing, the operating parts of the mechanism are shown iu their normal condition, that is to say, in the position which they will assume when the engine has been stopped, the lever J being depressed and the brake-band L applied to the pulley F, the lever N being retained by the rods ff of the Weighted lever J in the position which determines the. stoppage of the engine. y

' Te will suppose it to be necessary to hoist the cage, and that in order to effect this purpose it is necessary to elevate the controlling-rod P, ou doing which the lever N will be so operated as to open the throttlevalve, thereby admitting steam4 to the cylinder of the engine, and at the same time so operating the reversing-gearthatjthe pulley A will be driven, say, in the direction ot' the arrow, and the cage, consequently, hoisted. But, simultaneously with these movements, the said lever N, by acting on the rodf, elevates the lever J, thereby relieving the pulley F from the friction-band I; thus the hoisting-pulley D is released simultaneously with the starting ot the engine 4in the desired-direction for hoisting the cage.

When it is desired to stop the cage,the controllingrope P is pulled down to its original position, thereby permitting the weight Q, to depress the lever J and to apply the brake-baud I simultaneouslyv with the stoppage ot' the engine.

When the cage has to be lowered, the controllingrope P is pulled down, thereby causing the 'lever N to start and reverse the enginek at the same time the pin of the saidlever, acting `on the rod f, elevates the lever J, as before, and relie-ves the pulley F from its brake-band. l

. When the cage has been lowered to the desired point, the controlling-repel? is again elevated, so as to cause the lever N tro assume its normal position, thereby stopping the engine, while the brake-band is applied as before.

Owing to the'vertically-elongated eye in the rodl, the'above-described movements of the leverJ 'cannot disturb the idler-pulley L, which always performs its, duty, that of maintaining the driving-belt tight, with out disturbing the brake-lever J ,but should the driving-belt be suddenly broken, or should it slip from the pulleys, the idler-pulley will bereleased, and will fall by its own weight and that of' its-,arm M, and its spinl dle, striking the bottom ot' the eye in the rod K, will depress the brake-lever J, thereby applying the brake.

and at the same time restoring the lever N to its normal position.

I have referred to the above-described mechanism as applied to hoisting-apparatus for mines, but it will be evident that it may be applied to hoisting-mechanism for inclined planes, or in fact to any other hoisting-apparatus in which safety is desirable.

Different adaptations of the mechanism will, in many cases, involve the necessity ot' a different construction and arrangement ot' parts. Forinstanee., it is not absolutely necessary that the controlling-rope P should be so arranged as to be within reach et' those in the cage. In fact, the controlling-rope may, in some instances, be entirely dispensed with, and the lever M placed ivithiu the control of an operator stationed at a given point on an inclined plane.

Again, it is not absolutely necessary that the brakeing device illustrated and described should be employed in all cases, as other braking-apparatus, equally effective, mighthe used.

C Iaim.

In hoisting-apparatus, the. combination, substantially as described, of' an idler-pulley, bearing on a driving-belt, with mechanism for applying a brake to the pulley or shaft driven hy the belt, should the latter break, and for controlling the stopping, starting, and reversing-gear ot' the driving-engine, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM. HENRY MERRICK.

Witnesses:

H. Howsox, WM. A. STEEL. 

